Making it through
by Jasmine Sephora4760
Summary: When Poppy is tortured by Creek, she must think of a plan to get rid of him once and for all.
1. Chapter 1

Sweat trickled from his forehead as he eyed her sleeping form.

His eyes were filled with such lust and hunger , that he could barely contain himself any longer. As he neared her bed, Poppy began to twist and turn in her sleep. Creek held his breath as she did this, feeling a bit frightened that she would wake up so soon.

Lucky for him, she was still sound asleep.

He let out a sigh of relief, almost forgetting why he was even here. Creek slipped his hand into his pocket and fished around to find what he was looking for. He pulled out some rope and a pocketknife. And once again he approached her bed with a sly smile on his face.

Since she was already on her stomach, that only made it easier for him.

He used the pocketknife to cut the rope and when he was done, he put it back into his pocket. After that, he quickly climbed onto her bed and hovered over her sleeping form. Poppy's eyes fluttered open when she felt the sudden weight on her mattress.

Before she even got a chance to react, her wrists were quickly tied together. There was no way he was going to let his fresh meat get away. She fought at it half-heartedly, since she was still drowsy with sleep. Creek smiled to himself, since his plan was finally in action.

" Get off me!" Poppy screeched as she wiggled in her spot. Creek chuckled, " Why should I do that love? " Her heart skipped a beat when she recognized his voice. " C-Creek is that you?" She asked almost incredulously at his response. " Who else would it be?" Creek answered as if she would know.

" Let me go, or I'm gonna-"

" Or your gonna what ? If you even move a muscle , your gonna regret it." Creek growled. Poppy tried her best to kick him away, but it was really hard since she was lying on her stomach.

Without any warning, he flipped her onto her back and his eyes met her irritated glare. She noticed how close he was and that gave her an idea. It wasn't foolproof or anything but it was all she could think of.

Suddenly, she kicked him in the groin.

Creek gasped in pain and he even fell off her bed. This was her chance! She quickly stood up, even though her hands were restrained. She was able to walk a mere three steps before she was pushed back onto her bed.

" Where do you think you're going?" Creek asked in a low menacing tone. " I told you not to move, and since you disobeyed my orders, you're gonna get it."

Creek looked her body up and down seductively. " Your gonna love me so much after this." He breathed.

Poppy's eyes widened when she realized what he meant.

He wouldn't dare...

Creek slipped his hand under her nightgown, causing her to shudder at his touch. His hands were barely ghosting over her most private part.

" Creek, please don't do this!" She cried.

He stopped what he was doing to look her in the eye, causing her to tense up. "Too late." He replied barely above a whisper.

In an instant, he discarded her white panties and he threw off his yellow pants. He shoved himself inside her with such force that it caused her to yelp in pain.

Creek paid no attention to her and just kept going at it.

Tears of desperation slid down her cheeks and all she could hear was Creek moaning.

Every time she tried to get away from him, he would only hurt her more. Creek had enough of that ,so he punched her so hard that it left a bruise. Poppy lay limp on the bed as he continued to pork her.

She figured that if she didn't move at all, she could just get it over with. He was making it very difficult however, because of how rough he was being. She was disgusted at how much he was enjoying this, especially since she was in agonizing pain.

When he finished inside of her, he slipped his pants back on and untied her restraints. Her small chest heaved up and down as he studied her, with that stupid smile on his face. He got dangerously close to her ," I bet you enjoyed that, after all, why wouldn't you?"

Poppy could only glare at him, because she was too scared to do anything else.

He took one last look at her before exiting through her window.

How could she let this happen to her?

 **—**

 **AN: *sigh***

 **IK I'm probably gonna be hated for this story and I'm pretty all of you guys already have your torches ready for me. I randomly got the idea to make this fanfic. Btw, I'm new to Fanfiction .net! YASSS**


	2. Chapter 2

Poppy sat up in her bed with a throbbing headache to accompany her.

The events from last night constantly replayed in her mind and she hated it. She winced in pain as she stood up, and she looked down to see a large bruise on her arm that Creek gave her. She cringed at the awful sight.

part of her still wondered why he did it.

She _used_ to trust him. Creek was someone who would comfort her when she was fussy or upset. She used to have feelings for him, and trust me, those feelings are long gone. At one point, she even imagined having kids with him.

"How am I gonna explain this to dad? " she said ,thinking aloud.

* * *

He could tell something was wrong, but he couldn't exactly put his finger on it.

Poppy was usually the first troll up at sunrise, and now the bubbly queen was nowhere to be found. Branch extended his hair and wrapped it around a tree limb , so he could swing from tree to tree. When he spotted the royal pod, he lowered himself down so he could knock on her door.

When she heard him knocking, Poppy scrambled to change out of her bloodstained stained nightgown and into her blue dress. Then she quickly combed through her shiny locks to make herself look presentable.

She opened the door to meet his concerned gaze, " Poppy, where have you been?" Branch questioned. " I was busy doing...stuff." She replied hesitantly.

" Oh really? Aren't you always up at sunrise?" He retorted.

" Branch, I-"

" If you were busy doing 'stuff' I'm pretty sure I would know."

"Please, Just-"

" I have been worried sick about you!"

Branch stepped up to her, almost closing the space between them.

" _Creek is back!"_

Angry tears began to slide down her cheeks, "I've been trying to tell you ,but you just wouldn't listen!"

When she turned around to walk away, he noticed a large bruise on her arm. " Where did you get that?"

Poppy gave him a sheepish look, " Um, I ran into a wall." She responded a little too quickly. He suddenly pulled her into a tight hug. Poppy was taken aback by this, and her arms lay limp at her sides.

" You can tell me what happened, I'm here for you." He assured her. "I promise."

He pulled away from her,smiling.

Branch quickly lifted a finger to wipe her tears away and he brought her over to the couch, where she lay her head in his lap. " Tell me what happened." he said gently. Poppy hesitated at first, but she figured that he deserved to know. She took a deep breath. " Last night Creek snuck into my pod and-"

" WHAT?" Branch hissed.

He hooked one finger under her chin so he could make eye contact, " What did he do to you?" he seethed.

Poppy nervously rubbed her arm," Um, he..." She wasn't able to finish her sentence because she burst into tears. His face softened and he rubbed her back to comfort her, "Shhh, it's ok."

Poppy sat up with a stern look on her face, " No, Branch, it's not ok. Creek raped me..." She replied quietly. She began to cry even harder now. Branch felt so mad, that he felt like punching a wall. " I'm going to find him so I can wring his neck!"

" No Branch, do-" He cut her off. " What he did to you is unacceptable!" He slammed his fist on the table, causing her to jump. " Did you do anything to defend yourself?" Branch questioned. "Well, I wasn't able to move my hands because he tied them up, but I kicked him though." She tried to swallow the enormous lump that was still in her throat, " And, I got the bruise because he punched me."

To say that Branch was mad was an understatement.

He was furious but, he tried not to show too much of _that_ side of him.

For Poppy's sake of course.

As he started to walk out of her pod, she stopped him. " Where are you going? " He turned around to face her, " I was going to tell Peppy about the incident."

She gave him a sheepish look," I don't want him to know...yet." she gave her arm a vigorous rub before continuing," And besides, I'm scared Creek will come back. I don't want you to leave me."

Branch smiled and walked up to her, placing a kiss on her cheek.

Poppy immediately felt her face get hot. "Thank you for staying with me."

Branch's face lit up." No problem, anything for the queen."

* * *

Creek was happy that everything went according to plan.

He was definitely going to strike again, but he'd have to wait until things cool down a bit. It wouldn't be fair to the queen if he went after her again so soon, not that he cared anyway.

Shortly after Poppy became the queen, Creek stumbled across this abandoned cabin deep in the woods. He knew nobody would approve of him living back in the troll tree anyway, so he just decided to live there.

He ACTUALLY enjoyed living in the woods, especially since it was very peaceful there . Although, Creek did miss the feeling of being around the other trolls as well.

As he sharpened his knife, he realized something.

The young queen was completely vulnerable against him, and he could do anything he wanted.

"Oh Poppy," he sighed. " You'll never know what hit you."

* * *

 **AN: What is Creek up to?**

 **Only one way to find out. Keep reading! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter btw**


	3. Chapter 3

**I felt as if my last two chapters were a bit too short so this one will be longer.** **Btw, This chapter contains suggestive themes. I shouldn't have to emphasize it that much anyway. After all, I did rate it M.**

 *** cracks knuckles***

 **LETS GET STARTED!**

* * *

Creek spent most of his nights planning for his next attack.

It took up most of his sleep time but it was well worth it. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a knock on the bedroom door. " Come in!"

A grey troll entered and met his gaze. The dress she was wearing was stained and tattered , and her ebony locks were tied up in a messy ponytail.

" Can I ask you something?"

" Lilac ,What do you want?" He snapped. She flinched at his tone fearfully. " I'm sorry, I-I just wanted to ask if we are still going through with this." She asked sheepishly.

" Of course, why wouldn't we?" He began, "The sooner we get this over with, the better."

"It's just that..." Lilac's voice trailed off. Creek raised an eyebrow, " What's wrong?" She took a deep breath before continuing, " I'm not sure we should do anymore damage, what you did to the Queen was uncalled for!"

"Excuse me? Last time I checked you weren't the one in charge." He pointed out. She opened her mouth to say something, but she quickly closed it. Creek stood up and walked over to her.

" And besides , I thought you wanted to find your parents." He reminded her. "If you don't stop questioning the way I do things around here, I'll throw you out in the woods where you belong."

Creek stepped even closer and began to stroke her cheek lovingly, " Don't make me hurt you again, you're too pretty for that."

She curled her lip in disgust, " Stay away from me!"

Lilac noticed that the door was still open and made a run for it. Creek didn't bother running after the young teen, because he knew she'd be back.

She quickly ran into the bathroom and locked the door. It was no surprise that she was scared of him and that she wanted more than anything to escape.

But she already made a deal with him in order to find her parents.

Even if she did run away, he'd still find her.

 _What did I get myself into?_ She thought wistfully. Lilac had very few memories of the joy she had in her life. But everything went downhill when her parents were nowhere to be found.

She actually turned grey when she thought they abandoned her. And deep down, she still felt that way. Then one day, she met Creek and he claimed that he knew where they were. She was foolish for trusting him,but she was desperate.

" I have to get out of here."

She slowly unlocked the door, and tip-toed out into the hallway. Luckily, the coast was clear. She made her way into the living room, which appeared to be vacant.

Creek kept the doors locked at all times in case she tried to leave and the windows were the only way out. However, when she tried to open it, she wasn't able to. That's when Creek caught her in the act.

"Why would you leave me? We made a deal." He faked the sadness in his voice. She slowly turned around to face him.

" I wasn't running away, I was only trying to get some fresh air." She replied quietly.

Creek glared at her." You know what I do to liars? I punish them."

Her eyes widened, and Lilac could only brace herself for whatever pain she was about to endure.

* * *

The queen panted heavily as she jolted upright, her disheveled bangs still sticky with sweat.

It all seemed so _vivid._

So real.

Night terrors weren't a common thing for her, but this one was nothing she had ever experienced before. She wanted to talk to somebody about it but Branch was already sleeping peacefully right beside her. Her pink feet made contact with the cold floor as she stood up to get her coat .

She knew nobody would be awake at this hour and that only made things better. Everybody always made a big fuss whenever she left without saying anything.

For once, she would like to relax without other trolls breathing down her neck.

When she finally reached her destination, she sat down cross legged in the grass to admire the view.

It was a beautiful waterfall surrounded by colorful fish swimming in the lake. Poppy rarely had time to herself, and when she did, she took advantage of it. Although, it was hard to enjoy herself when most of her thoughts revolved around _him._

Ever since that night, her colors have faded and other trolls seemed to notice. Poppy couldn't help but feel an unbearable amount of guilt whenever she thought about the guru troll.

The queen wished she could've done something to protect herself and now that Creek was back, how would everyone react? She didn't even tell her own father yet. Her mind was such a jumbled mess, that coming up with a plan wasn't even an option right now.

Poppy was so deep in her thoughts, that she didn't even notice Branch sneak up behind her. She shrieked when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

" Shhh, Poppy, it's ok."

She let out a sigh of relief when she heard his voice. "I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else."

Branch frowned as he sat down next to her. " You're still thinking about Creek?" He assumed.

" I can't get it off my mind." She mumbled.

He smiled to himself as an idea formed in his mind." I know how to make you stop thinking about it." her ears perked up slightly at his response.

He placed a hand on her knee, and she brought her eyes up to meet his baby blue optics. "Branch what are y-" In a split second , he captured her lips with his. Her eyes flew up in surprise but she slowly began to melt into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck.

They kissed so passionately, that she soon felt an unfamiliar heated sensation between her legs.

She tried to ignore it, but it was really difficult.

Branch deepened the kiss by pushing his tongue against her mouth, asking for an entrance. Poppy opened her mouth a little and tongue wrestled with him.

He rubbed the inside of her thighs with one hand as he dug his fingers into her hair. Branch suddenly realized how repulsive he was acting and pulled away from her.

Poppy looked up at him in confusion, " What's wrong?"

" Don't you think it's a little too soon for us to be doing ... _this_?" He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, avoiding eye contact.

Poppy smiled at him and placed a hand on his shoulder, " I wanted you to keep going." She confessed, placing a chaste kiss at the corner of his mouth.

With a mischievous smile on her face, Poppy pushed him down on the grass and leaned over to place several kisses on his neck. A moan erupted from the back of his throat as she nipped at him, causing his face and chest to be on fire.

" Poppy..." he groaned.

She ignored him and kept going at it. She soon began to flush as well, when Branch started grinding his hips against hers. Poppy used one finger to trace the muscles on his torso as she backed up to look at her progress. When she spotted the dark purple markings on his neck, she beamed.

Branch sat up and cupped her cheek with one hand, and before Poppy got a chance to react, he kissed her again with passion. He bit and tugged at her bottom lip as she returned the exchange with more fervor.

It was an understatement to say she was a bit disappointed when he pulled away from her.

" Did it work?" He asked suddenly. She tilted her head to the side in confusion. " What do you mean? "

" Was I able to get your mind off of Creek?"

A small smile crept up her face," You did an amazing job."

* * *

 **AN: I feel like the ending was kinda cheesy but, I tried my best. I kinda wish I made this chapter a bit longer though...**

 **To all the people who see this, Have a great day! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Silence.

That's all there was.

Besides that, all that could be heard was the vicious thumping of her heartbeat and the sweet humming of her father. Not a single word was exchanged between them, and that only made things more tense.

Poppy had no idea how to tell her father about Creek. She just knew she had to do it today, and FAST. If she didn't think of a plan soon, she feared he would come back to harm more innocent trolls.

As she spooned some oatmeal into her mouth, she could feel her father's eyes burning into her skull. " Poppy, is everything alright? I can tell something's _off._ " Peppy said, tapping his chin in wonder.

" There's nothing wrong, I'm just feeling a bit tired." She lied. He raised his eyebrow, indicating he didn't believe her. " If you have something to tell me, I'll always be there to listen." He assured her.

" I know dad." She glanced at the clock," Look, I'll talk to you later. I promised my friends I would spend some time with them." She replied dismissively.

" Bye Poppy, I love you." He grinned.

" I love you too." And just like that, she was gone like the wind.

Many trolls greeted the queen as she walked through the troll tree and she tried her best to keep a smile on her face, even though she just wasn't having it today.

When she entered the twins' pod, she was nearly tackled to the ground in a hug. " Um guys?" Poppy piped up. " Oh, sorry about that." Satin and Chenille said in unison, backing away from her.

"We are just so excited to hang out with you!" Satin grinned. Poppy couldn't help but smile at the comment, "So..." She cleared her throat, "What are we going to do today?"

"We are going to have a picnic, and everybody else is already waiting for us by the river!" Satin exclaimed.

" Sounds like fun." Poppy replied, sounding genuinely happy.

"Well, what are we waiting for? All those cupcakes aren't gonna eat themselves!" Chenille said, running out of the pod.

Poppy could only giggle at their excitement, allowing them to lead the way.

When they arrived at the river, everything was already set up. And the rest of the snackpack was waiting for them.

Poppy was even surprised to see Branch there, and it was pretty clear he was very uncomfortable.

"What took you guys so long?" Smidge questioned. " The food was starting to get cold."

" Sorry Smidge, it's not our fault the river was 5 miles away." Satin huffed, crossing her arms.

Poppy raised an eyebrow at this, feeling a bit surprised at her sudden attitude. but she quickly took a seat on the blanket, eyeing the basket of cupcakes.

Biggie picked one up and handed it to her, "Here you go, I knew strawberry cupcakes were your favorite."

Poppy beamed, "Thanks Biggie, but this isn't for me."

Everyone watched silently as Poppy walked over to Branch, who was sitting on the grass, staring off into the distance.

" Branch."

His ears twitched at the sound of her voice, and he turned around to face her, with a ghost of a smile on his face. The snackpack watched this interaction silently with their fingers crossed. It was no surprise that they were MORE than ready for the teal troll to pop the question.

Branch's eyes darted between the cupcake and her face, with a quizzical expression spread across his features.

" I thought you might like one." Poppy explained, handing him the cupcake.

He took the cupcake from her grasp, and bit into it. "Thank you Poppy, it's perfect."

 _Just like you_.

He chose not to say it aloud mainly because the snackpack was listening and watching their every move.

"I wasn't expecting you to be here." She admitted, taking a seat next to him.

Branch chuckled airily," To be honest, I was hesitant to come at all, but something changed my mind."

Poppy raised an eyebrow at this, " So, why did you come?"

Branch pretended to think about it, "Because I knew you would be here."

Her face lit up, "Wow, I'm flattered."

" Are you two done yet?" A voice said. They both turned around to meet the eyes of DJ.

"Well, we _were_ in the middle of something but I guess it can wait." Poppy replied out of annoyance.

DJ couldn't help but laugh, "I was only kidding, you guys can take all the time you need."

Branch was secretly relieved that DJ left them alone, but he wouldn't dare to say it aloud. As DJ started to walk away, he let out a sigh of relief.

Poppy giggled, " You were just _dying_ for her to leave, weren't you?"

Branch rubbed the back of his neck, " Well, kind of. I just wanted to spend some time with you."

Poppy's face began to heat up, " Aw, that's sweet." She replied bashfully. Branch's face suddenly became serious , " Does the snackpack know about you-know-who?"

Her smile faded, " No, I just couldn't bring myself to tell them." He shook his head at this, " But Poppy, they have to know."

" I know, I know. I just don't want them to worry about me." She pulled her legs up to her chest.

He placed a hand on her shoulder, "They're your friends, they have to worry about you." He pointed out.

"They're not my friends, They're _our_ friends." She corrected with a smile.

* * *

Blood dripped from the torn clothing.

And the fresh wounds covering her body were as painful as sharp daggers going into her heart. When she tried to move, she gasped in pain, immediately realizing her mistake.

Creek had beaten her pretty bad, and now her body was in unbearable pain. However ,she didn't remember much because at one point fainted from the blood loss.

It was probably a _good_ thing she couldn't remember, because if she did, that would be far too traumatizing.

Once more, she tried to stand up and this time she was successful.

She limped her way over to the washroom , so she could treat her cuts and bruises.

Lilac winced in pain when she began to bandage her arm, but to her, it wasn't a _that_ much of a big deal.

She's felt much worse pain than that anyway. When she finished, she ventured over to her bedroom, where she began to pace back and forth out of habit.

You see, she was the kind of person paced back and forth out of anxiousness, or whenever she was stressed about something.

This time she was anxious because she was worried she might get caught.

Caught running away that is.

There was no _way_ she was sticking with the guru troll any longer. She just needed an escape plan or she feared he might cause more harm. Not just to her, but to the queen as well.

All she needed was a way to escape, then she'd be home free.

But the thing was, she needed help. Because there was no way she'd be able to defeat Creek on her own. Suddenly, a light bulb went off in her brain.

The only way to get rid of him was to fight back!

Even though Lilac wasn't much of a fighter, she'd have to start training immediately right after her wounds healed. If no one was going to help her, then she'd have no choice then to help herself.

" I really hope I can pull this off." She sighed, raking her fingers through her hair.

Lilac grabbed a bag and began to fill it up with some of her stuff. She wasn't going to leave today, but she had to start packing just in case Creek left the cabin.

That's when she was going to make a run for it.

After escaping from the cabin, she'd have to go straight to the Troll tree. From there, she'd warn Queen Poppy about him making his return.

By then, she'd have all the help she needed from the start. " If they won't help me, I'll get rid of him myself." She said darkly.

* * *

" We need to talk."

The firm tone he used caused her tense up.

To be honest, she had completely forgotten about having that conversation earlier that day.

She was oblivious.

Poppy slowly turned around to face her father with a look of despair. She clasped her hands together before responding," Before you say anything, I just want you to know that I'm sorry."

He gave her a confused look, " What are you talking about?"

After a minute or two of silence, she soon gave him a look that matched his own," What were you going to tell me?" she asked quietly. He took a seat on the couch and gestured for her to sit down next to him.

" I think the real question is, what were you going to tell _me_?"

"Huh? What are y-" He cut her off," Earlier today, I could see that something is eating you up inside, and as your father, I deserve to know what's wrong."

Peppy watched as her shoulders slumped in defeat.

" I d-don't know where to start." she confessed . He rubbed her back in a attempt to comfort her. " It's alright Poppy, just take a deep breath and tell me everything."

Poppy hesitated," Well, not too long ago Creek came back." she began," He snuck into my home and he...you know." her voice trailed off. The queen gave him a look that seemed to answer all of his questions.

Peppy embraced his daughter as she began to cry into his chest, " I'm so sorry, it's all my fault !" she cried.

" _Look at me._ " His voice was firm, but gentle. Poppy sat up and locked eyes with him.

" This is not your fault, Creek is going to be held responsible for everything he does." Peppy assured her. " But what am I supposed to do?"she sniffed.

" That is for you to decide." he stated bluntly.

Poppy's eyes widened slightly," What?! I can't even think straight. How do you expect me to think of a plan?"

" I understand you're under a lot of pressure right now, but I'm sure all the answers will come to you." He stood up and grabbed his cane." But right now, you just need to relax."

Poppy's jaw dropped as he began to walk away.

She slowly began to recover from her shock," Thank you for the amazing advice." she replied sarcastically. The former king couldn't help but chuckle at her reply.

* * *

 **AN: Well, it looks like Lilac going to escape once more.**

 **Lets just all hope she doesn't get caught again by Creek. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! I already decided that I am definitely making a sequel to this book once I'm finished. Who's excited? Because I am!**


	5. Chapter 5

Today was the day Lilac would make her great escape and she was more than nervous.

She was on the verge of an anxiety attack.

The only time Creek would leave the cabin, was when he getting low on the food supply. He would usually collect things such as vegetables and berries, and he would get just enough to last him for weeks.

All she wanted right at this moment, was to get away from him and that stupid accent of his.

As she put some more clothes into her bag, Lilac began to hear footsteps down the hall. In an instant, she quickly hid her bag and climbed into her bed. When Creek finally opened the door to her bedroom, she scrunched her eyes shut, and prayed that he would go away.

Eventually when he left, she grabbed her backpack from it's hiding spot and darted down the hall.

She watched from the window as he began to disappear behind the trees.

Lilac waited a couple of minutes before departure, mainly because she didn't want to get caught. When the coast was clear, she quickly made her way over to the window and lifted it up with ease.

She wasted absolutely no time climbing through it and getting as far away as she could from the cabin.

 _I might actually get away with this!_ She thought happily to herself.

The grey troll wrapped her hair around a branch and started to swing herself from tree to tree. She only did this to prevent herself from getting caught.

If she traveled by foot, she'd have a greater chance of getting caught by the purple troll. And that would completely RUIN all of her plans. Since the cabin was deep in the woods, It would take her at least two whole days to reach her destination.

Since it was already nightfall, Lilac figured it was time to hit the hay. She dug into her bag and pulled out a sleeping bag and a pillow.

She was very lucky that it was very warm outside, otherwise she would have to make a fire.

And that was something she _definitely_ couldn't do.

As she started to get settled in her sleeping bag, Lilac heard a strange rustling sound in the bushes.

She was frozen with fear.

What If Creek had come back for her!? Oh, how terrible that would be. Especially since she made it this far.

It wasn't long before a troll with light green skin and yellow hair emerged from the bushes. He was wearing a black cloak and dark brown pants.

He looked like he was around her age but she wasn't too sure. She couldn't see his face very well because it was pretty dark outside, but glow bugs began to brighten the forest for her.

Now that she could see his face better, she was pleasantly surprised to see how attractive he was.

But that was last thing she could even think about.

When the strange troll started to approach her, Lilac climbed out of her sleeping bag before he could get any closer.

" Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you." The troll assured her.

" Who are you?" She asked in a shaky voice.

" The name's Sparrow and it's a pleasure to meet you." He gave her a tight smile. Lilac still wasn't sure if she could trust him. After all, he literally came out of nowhere!

Suddenly his smile faded, " What's a little girl like you doing out here in the woods?"

She frowned at him, " For your information, I'm not a little girl!" She retorted, " I'm turning 14 pretty soon."

Sparrow chuckled with amusement, " Well, isn't someone feisty?" He teased. Lilac rolled her eyes ," Why are you here anyway?"

"The real question is why are you here?" He questioned.

Her shoulders slumped a bit, " I...can't tell you that."

Sparrow took a seat and gestured for her to sit down. Lilac was hesitant to even go near him, but she eventually sat down.

She could feel his eyes on her and she felt very uncomfortable.

" What happened to you? You look like you were beaten up by a cat!" He exclaimed. It didn't take a genius to know what he was talking about.

Her cuts and scars.

She had so many of them,and all because of that _monster ._

" It's a long story." She sighed. " Well, I have all night so you better start talking." Sparrow deadpans.

So she told him everything.

She told him about the punishments she received from Creek, her missing parents, and her journey to the the troll tree.

By the time she was done, Sparrow's hug time bracelet went off.

He hesitantly pulled her into a tight embrace and she refused to hug him back. So her arms just lay limp at her sides.

Lilac cringed inwardly, "Don't touch me." She replied coldly.

He didn't move , "But-"

" Butts are for sitting! Now release me." She ordered.

Sparrow pulled away from her in hopes that a smile would be on her face, but he was wrong.

Lilac was still frowning and she looked greyer than ever.

They sat in awkward silence before Lilac finally spoke up, " I think you should leave." She said abruptly.

He raised an eyebrow, " And why should I do that?"

" I bet your parents are wondering where you are, you should just go home." Lilac explained.

He gave her a solemn look, causing her to have an expression that matched his own. "What's wrong?"

Sparrow glanced at her, "I'm an orphan."

Her eyes widened in shock , " I'm so sorry I didn't-" He held up his hand to silence her, " You didn't know, big deal."

" Don't you ever get lonely?" She asked him.

" Of course I do, but I'd rather be by myself than get adopted. Why do you think I escaped from the orphanage pod?" Sparrow scoffed.

Lilac didn't say anything so he kept talking, " I was abandoned as a baby because my parents didn't want me, and all my life I've been rejected by other trolls because I wasn't good enough."

She suddenly felt really sorry for him.

She could only imagine how it felt for him to be rejected so many times. It's a miracle he didn't turn grey.

When she looked over at the green troll, she could've swore she saw a tear at the corner of his eye.

" If you want you could stay with me." She offered.

Sparrow's face lit up, " That's very generous of you, I'm tired of being alone anyway."

" I'm glad you're tagging along. I need all the help I can get." Lilac said. He gave her a bewildered look, " What am I helping you with?"

" Do you know how to fight?" She asked, ignoring his question.

" Well, back at the orphanage I took archery and fencing classes." He replied absentmindedly.

" That's good enough for me." She shrugged.

" Why are you going to the troll tree anyway?" Sparrow questioned.

Lilac wasn't sure if she should tell him anything , " Why do you want to know?" She shot back.

"If I'm coming along, the least you could do is tell me _why_ we're going there." He pointed out.

Lilac groaned in frustration, " We're going to the troll tree because I need to warn the queen about Creek."

The green troll shifted uncomfortably under her cold stare, " Maybe we should go to bed."

Lilac nodded and got into her sleeping bag, " Do you have anything to sleep in?"

Sparrow shook his head, " I don't have anything with me." Lilac gave him a concerned look. " Maybe we can share my sleeping bag." She suggested.

He chuckled nervously, " No, that's ok."

" Fine, if you freeze to death it'll be all your fault." She huffed.

He gave her an exasperated look, " It's not even that cold outside!" Just then, the temperature dropped, causing him to shiver.

Lilac had a smug look on her face, " You were saying?" He glared at her, " Fine, I'll get in your sleeping bag."

The grey troll scooted over to make room for Sparrow, and when he got in, he was so close to her that their shoulders touched.

" Do you feel better now?" She asked him.

" I guess."

Sparrow couldn't help but feel his face heat up. He had never been so close to a female before and it was sending him into overdrive.

When he glanced over at Lilac, she had already fallen asleep and she began to snore softly.

He cracked a smile, and whispered goodnight to her before drifting off into a deep sleep.

* * *

When he awoke the next day , Lilac was nowhere to be found.

The spot beside him was warm, meaning that she left not too long ago. A frown came upon his face, because he feared she may not return.

Sparrow stood up and began to look around for Lilac, in hopes that he would spot her. And he eventually spotted her, just not how he thought he would find her.

Lilac just happened to be taking a bath in the lake with her back facing him. She was too busy singing to herself to even notice his presence.

Her singing was quite enchanting and Sparrow would've stayed longer if he wasn't so worried about getting caught.

He blushed from embarrassment as he turned to walk away, and as he did this,he stepped on a twig causing Lilac to notice him.

She looked absolutely mortified.

Sparrow wasted no time running over to their camping spot, never looking back. When he left, Lilac climbed out of the pond and dried herself with a towel.

After changing into a clean dress, she made her way over to her sleeping bag and began to pack her things.

When she heard footsteps she turned around to meet the eyes of Sparrow, who looked ashamed.

She glared at him, " You are such a pervert, why were you spying on me?"

His cheeks turned red, " I wasn't spying on you I swear, I was only going to look for you." He rambled.

Lilac gave him a look of uncertainty, " likely story."

Sparrow threw his hands up in defeat, " I would never dream of doing that to you. How was I supposed to know you were taking a bath?"

Lilac didn't respond.

" That's what I thought." He growled.

Her face began to soften, "Sparrow, I'm sorry for accusing you of spying." He gave her a small smile, " That's exactly what I wanted to hear."

For the first time in days, Lilac smiled.

" We better get going, if we start walking now, we'll make to the troll tree in no time." She grabbed his cloak and handed it to him.

" Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Sparrow laughed.

Lilac rolled her eyes at him playfully as he began to walk towards their destination. For a 15 year-old, Sparrow had maturity of an adult and the spirit of a child.

And Lilac admired him for that.

On the way to the troll tree, Sparrow told her stories of his life at the orphanage and all the dangers he encountered on the day he escaped.

His stories fascinated her and it even inspired her to become more adventurous like him.

When it was time for lunch, they found some berries and honey to eat. It was very refreshing, especially since Lilac hadn't eaten in 3 days.

While Sparrow ate he suddenly realized something.

All this time, he didn't know her name. _There's only one way to find out._ He cleared his throat to get her attention, " What's your name?"

" Well, my name is Lilac but my parents call me Lily." She said quietly.

" What a beautiful name." He breathed.

She tried to hide her blush, " Thanks."

" Would you like me to call you Lily?" Sparrow asked. She raised an eyebrow, " Only my parents call me that." She reminded him.

"Right."

She bit into another berry, "Just call me Lilac instead."

They sat in silence while they finished up their lunch and it wasn't long before they were back on their feet again.

" Do you think we'll make it by dark?" Sparrow asked as he approached her. Lilac shrugged, " I'm not too sure."

" What are we going to tell the queen exactly?" He inquired.

Lilac giggled, " You're a curious one, aren't you?" Sparrow raked his fingers through his hair ," What can I say?"

" I was only going to tell her that Creek was going to come back, I guess." She replied dismissively.

" Are we going to stay there?" He said hopefully.

" Of course! There's no way I'm going to stay in the forest so we can rot." Lilac couldn't imagine living in the forest _that_ long.

After all, who would want to stay in a secluded area? Creek would be bound to find her and punish her for running away.

The thought of Creek triggered some painful memories. She couldn't help but think everything was her fault.

After all, she was the one who decided to trust a total stranger.

She couldn't help but remember the first day she met him. He seemed so kind at first, but it wasn't long before she realized what a cruel troll he was.

Oh, how he beat her whenever she failed to meet his expectations.

Without even knowing it, tears began to slide down her slightly flushed cheeks and they kept flowing like a river.

Sparrow stopped walking to pull her into a hug, which she only returned half heartedly. " What's wrong?" He asked in a soothing voice.

" I'm scared he'll find me and punish me and..." Lilac's voice trailed off as she began to cry some more.

He shushed her as he rubbed her back to comfort her. " I won't let him get you, I promise."

When she pulled away from him, her eyes were bloodshot and her nose was a little runny.

Sparrow then handed her a handkerchief, which she blew into very noisily. " Do you feel better now?"

She shook her head, " I'm still worried he'll find me."

He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, " As long as you're with me, you won't have to worry about being taken by Creek."

Lilac gave him a look of doubt, "I don't know about that." She sniffed.

When another tear began to slide down her cheek, Sparrow quickly wiped it away with his finger," Take my word for it."

She cracked a smile, " You know, it feels nice to have someone to depend on."

" Well I can't just let him take you." He shrugged.

In an instant, the grey troll hastily pulled him into a hug, and Sparrow was taken aback by this.

" Thank you." She whispered.

He was befuddled by this, " What for?"

She backed away from him, " For looking after me." Sparrow ruffled up her hair, " No problem."

Lilac winced, " Please don't do that."

" What,this?"He ruffled up her hair again. She swatted his hand away, " My scalp is very tender."

Sparrow nodded in understanding, " Oh, sorry."

" Eh, don't worry about it."

They began to walk again in silence. Lilac couldn't help but notice how slow Spencer was walking. Every once and a while, she'd stop walking just so he could catch up.

After it happened for the fifth time, she was beginning to lose her patience. Lilac glared at Sparrow who was a couple of feet away from her, " Can you walk any slower? We'll never make it to our destination."

" This is as fast as I can go." He replied defensively.

She rolled her eyes, " Ugh! That isn't fast enough. Why can't you just run?" He suddenly became interested in the floor.

Lilac got closer to him, " I mean come on! Don't your legs work?"

He didn't respond, instead he just rolled up one of his pant legs to reveal a leg brace. She looked a bit surprised.

Sparrow forced out a laugh, " I sorta have a ... minor disability."

She nodded, eyeing his leg brace.

He felt uncomfortable under her cold stare, " I wear this because when I was born, my leg was stuck in a weird position."

Lilac frowned, " How long have you been wearing one?"

Sparrow thought for a while, " I just recently started a leg brace. So pretty much all my life I would walk with a very bad limp."

Lilac tilted her head to the side in confusion, " I mean, I know your leg is messed up and all, but what's wrong with it exactly?"

He sighed, " Basically, I wear one to straighten out my leg." Sparrow stood up, " That's why I was abandoned, because other trolls would make fun of my parents for having a messed up baby."

Sparrow bit his lip, " So they got rid of me...for good."

She felt pity for him.

What kind of parents would abandon a child with a abnormality?

" I'm sorry, I didn't know. I promise to slow down next time." Lilac gave him an apologetic look.

Sparrow forced a smile.

When really, He was really trying to prevent himself from bursting into tears right there and then.

" I think it'll be better if I try to speed up, I don't want you waiting on me." He frowned.

She shook her head, " No way! I'll be more than glad to slow down." Sparrow looked grateful, " Thanks."

He rolled down his pant leg and began to walk with her again.

She saw how much he was struggling to walk. How come she didn't notice this before? If only there was a way for him to walk better...

It wasn't long before she got an idea.

She picked up the longest stick she could find and handed it to him. Sparrow glanced at it, " What's this for?"

" You can use the stick for support, just don't lean on it too much or it might break." She explained.

He flashed her a smile, " Wow, you're just full of ideas aren't you?" She blushed, " Well, I am quite the thinker."

Sparrow positioned the stick by his bad leg and he began to use it as a cane to help him walk, " It actually works!"

She beamed, " Let's go, there's no time to lose!"

He couldn't help but smile as she began to skip around and Sparrow couldn't help but notice something.

Her skin now had a blue-ish hue to it. Although, it was very subtle.

Sparrow now had another reason to stay with her.

So he could see her get her colors back.

* * *

 **AN: I know it's been a while since I updated and I figured this chapter would make up for it. I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did!**

 **Xoxo**


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